ANAHOLA — The state Department of Hawaiian Homes Lands held a dedication ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the completion of a $12.9-million project to improve the Anahola Farm Lots water system.
“Native Hawaiians have always understood the importance of water, especially in our agricultural communities,” said Hawaiian Homes Commission Chair William J. Aila Jr.
“Providing quality delivery of water to our rural homesteads continues to be a challenge that the department is now taking steps to address thanks to increased funding from the state and federal government. The Anahola system specifically services ag homesteads here in Anahola, and it’s our hope that these improvements will benefit the existing homesteaders and serve new homestead lots that DHHL will be developing in the coming years,” he said.
The project installed new waterlines, pressure-regulator stations, smart meters, lateral connections and a new, 500,000-gallon concrete water tank. Work began in Dec. 2020.
It also included additional improvements and upgrades to an existing pump-station facility that will improve the system’s overall efficiency and storage.
About $9 million in funding for the project comes from grants and loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, while the remaining $3.8 million comes from a DHHL contribution.
The Anahola Farm Lots water system serves approximately 45 farm lots and 30 residential lots with potable water. The system also acts as a unique backup for the County of Kaua‘i’s area water system. Likewise, if DHHL’s well is inoperable, Anahola farm and residential lessees are backed up through this same interconnection.
Contractors Ka‘iwa Construction Inc. and Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. worked alongside engineers Bowers + Kubota and design consultant Oceanit Laboratories Inc., to complete the project. DHHL contractor Aqua Engineers will provide ongoing maintenance of the system.
On the Westside, DHHL is working on a project to expand 47 home lots in Hanapepe.
“Because the houses were built in a very narrow area, it’s been a long-time request to extend those lots,” said DHHL Information and Community Relations Officer Cedric Duarte.
The project will reduce the size of the DHHL easement and increase the size of the lots from around 6,000 to 7,500 square feet. The project is still in the surveying phase, and DHHL did not provide an estimate on when it would be completed.
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Guthrie Scrimgeour, reporter, can be reached at 808-647-0329 or gscrimgeour@thegardenisland.com.
